


the look of mischief in your eyes

by mosslyman



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Olympics, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, the rest of the gang makes appearances too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-27 20:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20766155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mosslyman/pseuds/mosslyman
Summary: It’s Annabeth Chase, the most elite women’s hurdler in the United States. If Percy’s being honest with himself, he’s always had a bit of crush on her. He thinks her ability on the track is incredible, plus she’s so articulate whenever she speaks to the press. His jaw almost drops at the sight of her in front of him.(Or: Percy, an Olympic swimmer, meets Annabeth, an Olympic hurdler, in the same way Megan Rapinoe met Sue Bird.)





	the look of mischief in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone! this is my first time writing percy & annabeth so i hope i did them justice. this story came about because i listened to the “that’s what she said” podcast with megan rapinoe and sue bird and they told the story of how they first met and i OBVIOUSLY thought of percabeth. also highly recommend the podcast and you should definitely give it a listen.
> 
> i would also like to say i’ve never done as much research as i have for this fic fjksldjfasd i was a swimmer myself so i know how the olympics work for swimmers but i legit looked up the olympic schedule and other things pertaining to the olympics (although i still did take some freedom with it, it is fiction after all) so i could make sure percy and annabeth’s events wouldn’t line up so quick shoutout to all fic writers for all the prep you put into your fics it’s so appreciated <33333
> 
> one last thing… me? finding any opportunity to mention the love of my life tessa virtue? more likely than you think

Percy hated these events. He knew they were important for promoting the spirit of the Olympics, and showing off their patriotism, and blah blah blah whatever other garbage Grover forces him to say. But he truly hates talking to the press.

He was currently at the press conference in Los Angeles for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Surrounded by all of the top athletes in the United States, they were here to talk about what they’re most excited about for the games, how they’ve been preparing for their respective sports, their teammates, and the worst questions of all, their personal lives.

Percy understands to an extent why the press wants to know about their lives, but he’s a swimmer for gods’ sake! It’s not like he’s a super famous celebrity. Okay, sure, he’s a pretty good swimmer, but he’s still a private person. He doesn’t feel the need to share every detail with his life to the press.

“Dude, I get what you’re saying, but maybe you should have thought about that before you dated Rachel Elizabeth Dare a few years ago.”

Percy glares at him. “Bringing up my heiress ex-girlfriend is off limits, and you know that.”

“Yes, it is when I’m just talking to you as your best friend, but right now, I’m talking to you as your sports manager. And you know that’s what happens when you date an heiress. Also, you’re the best swimmer since Michael Phe-”

“Do not finish that sentence! I’m sick of hearing it. You know it just makes me more nervous.”

Grover just chuckles, which makes Percy smile. “Anyways, you’re done with the press for the day. The gala is later tonight,” Percy groans, “Please make sure you’re on time.”

“Yeah, yeah. 8 pm right?”

“Yes, 8 pm.”

Just as Percy goes to try and convince Grover to let him out of the gala, another stupid event where this time he’s forced to dress in a tuxedo, the prettiest girl comes up to Grover. She has tan, long, muscular legs, blonde, curly hair, which is currently in two French braids, and the most piercing grey eyes he’s ever seen. It’s Annabeth Chase, the most elite women’s hurdler in the United States. If Percy’s being honest with himself, he’s always had a bit of crush on her. He thinks her ability on the track is incredible, plus she’s so articulate whenever she speaks to the press. His jaw almost drops at the sight of her in front of him. Well, he guesses he should say Grover, since she starts speaking to him.

“Hey, Grover. Do I have anything else for the rest of the day?”

“Hi, Annabeth. No, you’re good. Just remember the gala, tonight!”

She chuckles. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Percy nudges Grover, coughing quietly, trying to get him to introduce him. He knows that Grover knows about his small crush.

“Oh, Annabeth, this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Annabeth Chase. I manage her as well.”

Percy reaches his hand out, and she takes his hand in hers. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, Annabeth. I’m… uh, a huge fan.”

She smiles at that. “Thanks, I’m a big fan of yours. What you do in the pool is pretty incredible.”

“Ha, thanks.” Percy struggles with something else to say, eventually noting she’s wearing her track uniform. “So, are you running today?”

Her face transforms into a look of amusement. “No… I’m here for the press conference. Just like you.”

Percy’s face flushes pink. He can hear Grover trying not to laugh next to him. “Right, right, sorry dumb question.”

“Annabeth!” All of them look over to see Piper Mclean, one of Annabeth’s teammates on the track team ushering her over.

Annabeth turns back to Percy and Grover. “Well, I guess I’ll see you guys later. Grover, I’ll call you later this week.”

“Sure, Annabeth. Sounds good.”

She turns to Percy, whipping one of her braids behind her shoulder. “And, Percy, maybe I’ll see you at the gala later.”

“Yeah, yeah. See you later.”

She turns around and walks over to Piper.

Grover turns to Percy, now visibly laughing in his face, “Dude.”

“Shut. Up.”

—

“One time, when we were at Stanford, Beckendorf wasn’t counting how many laps Frank had swam in the relay, and so, he dove in at the 50-yard mark, almost hitting Frank, who still had another 50 to go.”

Everyone roars with laughter as Jason finishes telling this story of them, the Core Four as they’re referred to. Percy, Jason, Frank, and Beckendorf had been inseparable throughout college, pushing each other to be the best in the world. Now, all of them were heading to the Olympics, and it was quite honestly pretty freaking awesome.

It was perfect, too because they all had different specialties. Percy was their backstroker, their lead-off in the 4x100 medley relay. Jason was their breaststroker, Frank the butterflier, and Beckendorf was the freestyler. Percy and Jason both swam the IMs and Frank and Charles both swam the 200 freestyle, but it only made them better.

Beckendorf scowls at Jason for telling the story to a large group of people, but Percy knows he’s not really mad. The story has become a classic when they have to suck up to sponsors. Plus, it probably helps that Silena is standing there, holding his hand.

Just as Percy goes to open his mouth to tell the story about when they tried to play water polo and it ended with them all in the hospital, Grover comes over and claps him on the back.

“Hey, guys. Mind if I borrow Percy for a second?”

A mixing chorus of “sure, man,” “no problem, Grover,” and “hey, dude, what’s up!” as Grover drags Percy away.

“What’s up?”

“The Adidas sponsor wants to meet you. He thinks you could be one of the next ambassadors.”

“Does Adidas even do swimming gear?”

Grover sighs. “_Yes_, Percy, they do. But it doesn’t really matter. You’re always wearing athletic clothes, anyways. Might as well get a sponsorship out of it. Besides, they represent a lot of people. Allison Schmidt, Sidney Crosby, Tessa Virtue. All sponsored by Adidas.”

“Oh, Tessa Virtue!”

“Yeah, dude, I know you think she’s hot.”

Percy looks at his best friend incredulously. “You’d have to be blind _not_ to think Tessa Virtue is hot.”

Grover just smiles at him. “Well, if you are sponsored by them, you might get to meet her.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll meet with the guy!”

Grover steers him to the other side of the ballroom, grabbing a glass of water on the way. He stops them behind a taller guy, who is currently engrossed in a conversation with someone. Percy’s eyes widen when he realizes that said person is Annabeth, who is wearing a beautiful, silver gown, her hair now down, curling around her shoulders. He almost groans out loud. He’s been wanting to hit his head against the wall since they’re disastrous meeting earlier today. He knows he’s being a little dramatic, but he normally doesn’t have such a hard time finding things to talk about with women. He knows he can be a little awkward with them (a byproduct of spending so much time underwater if he’s being honest), but he still can’t believe he asked her if she was _competing_.

“Mr. Jones, I want you to meet Percy. Percy, this is Casper Jones.”

Percy sticks his hand out, shaking Mr. Jones’ hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

Mr. Jones’ laugh. “Please, Percy, you can call me Casper. You, too, Grover. It’s a pleasure meeting you. My daughters are swimmers, and they admire you a lot.”

Percy flushes at that, still not used to being a role model for people. “Oh, tell them thanks. It’s nice to know people are supporting me.”

“Well, I’m sure Grover told you a little bit as you were walking over here, but I wanted to run this idea by you. We think you would be a great face to promote Adidas. We’ve recently been developing new apparel for swimmers, and we want you to be the person to showcase them.”

“Wow, I’m honored Mr. J- Casper. Just, what would that entail exactly?”

“Pretty simple stuff. We would have one big photoshop to kick off the campaign, you would occasionally have to post on social media regarding your sponsorship, maybe do a couple events throughout the year, maybe one commercial. It’s really not too bad. Annabeth here could tell you more if you want to hear an athlete’s perspective.”

Percy looks over at Annabeth, whose eyes are shining. “I’d be happy to tell Percy all about it.”

Casper claps Percy on the back. “Excellent. I have some people I need to speak with, but why don’t I leave you two to chat, and you can have Grover call me this week about your decision.”

Grover speaks up. “That sounds great, Casper. I’m actually going to walk with you, I have to find Leo Valdez and Nico Di Angelo about some press they need to do in the coming weeks.”

Grover starts walking away with Casper, Percy glaring at his back. Grover turns around and winks at him. _Bastard_, Percy thinks to himself.

Percy turns to Annabeth, who’s staring at him expectedly.

“So…”

She smiles. “So…”

“Do you like Adidas?”

“Yeah, I do. They’re a good company, and I like their athletic apparel. I’ve used it since I was a kid, so it’s kind of crazy that I’m sponsored by them now.”

“You deserve it.” Annabeth’s smile grows at that. Percy takes a deep breath, figuring he should just bite the bullet and address what he said earlier. “Listen, about earlier, I’m sorry I made an ass out of myself. I can’t believe I asked you if you were competing when we were all there in our uniforms because of the press conference.”

She chuckles. “It’s not a big deal, Percy. I found it kind of endearing, even if I was momentarily confused.”

Percy lets out his sigh, feeling cheered up at the fact that she found it endearing, rather than weird. “So, are you excited about the Olympics?”

“Duh, Seaweed Brain. Who wouldn’t be?”

Percy laughs at her nickname. “Seaweed Brain?”

Smirking at him, she replies, “Well, you spend so much time underwater, I just assume your brain is filled with seaweed, right?”

“That would maybe be true, if I practiced in the ocean, but seeing as I practice in a chlorinated pool, I don’t think there’s too much seaweed in my brain.” She laughs at that. “Although, I will say, the beach is one of my favorite places in the world.”

“Really? What’s your favorite beach?”

A small smile flits across his face. “Montauk, in New York.”

Annabeth’s eyebrows turn downward, shifting into pensive look. “Long Island? I thought, for sure, it would be some beach in California, since that’s where you train, and you went to college.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love California beaches. They’re great. It’s just, when I was growing up…” Percy looks over at Annabeth, a little scared to tell her this information, since he barely knows her, but she looks so curious (and cute), he can’t help but continue his story, “my mom and I used to go there, and it was always my favorite time. We would get away from my stepdad, who I hated. Eventually, she left him, and she married this great guy, Paul, but we would always make it a point to go up for at least a weekend each summer, just us. It reminds me of simpler times.”

He doesn’t really know what he expects Annabeth to say, but he notices her face changes into something really soft as he tells his story. “That’s really sweet, Percy. Your mom sounds like a wonderful person.”

He sighs, thinking of his mom. “She’s the best. I can’t wait to see her soon.”

“Is she coming to the Olympics?”

“Yeah! I already have the sponsorship with Gatorade, and they were super nice and helped fund to get my mom, Paul, and my baby sister out there, since it’s a bit of flight.”

Annabeth chuckles. “That’s a bit of an understatement.”

“Yeah. I mean luckily, we’ll be out there for a couple weeks before the event starts, but still.” Annabeth nods in agreement, as she takes a sip of what looks to be seltzer water. “What about you? Your parents coming?”

She grimaces a little at that, speaking with an air a slight bitterness, head down. “Uh, yeah, my family is coming. My dad, my stepmom, and my stepbrothers are going to be there.”

Percy can tell she doesn’t really want to talk about it, as she begins closing herself off. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Annabeth looks up, eyes widening in panic. “Oh my gods, no, I’m sorry, Percy. It’s just my family and I have a complicated history. We’ve put it behind us for the most part, but…”

“But it’ll always be a little complicated?”

She smiles in relief, happy that he seems to get it. “Yeah, it’s fine, though. I am excited they’re able to come.”

“Yeah, I get that. I can’t wait to tour around Tokyo. I’ve been to Korea, for Worlds last year, but I’m excited to go to Japan.”

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go to Korea! Our Worlds were in Qatar last year, which was incredible, but after watching PyeongChang in 2018, I’ve always wanted to visit.”

And just like that, the two of them spend the rest of the night attached at the hip. Percy’s amazed by how easily they get along. They talk about career paths if they weren’t athletes (architect for Annabeth, marine biologist for Percy), favorite food (margherita pizza for Annabeth, anything blue for Percy), funny stories about their best friends, other athletes that inspire them (they both agree Tessa Virtue is a badass and they both want to meet her through Adidas), and everything else under the sun. Normally, these events drag on, but Percy finds the end of the night has come much more quickly than he expected.

Percy checks his watch, eyebrows shooting up in surprise by the time he sees. “Wow, it’s already 11:30 pm. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up this late. My coach, Chiron, is super strict about me getting enough sleep.”

Annabeth laughs. He notes to himself he loves when she laughs. “My coach, Quintus, is the same way, so I totally feel you. Actually, I should probably get going. Coach pushed back practice a little bit tomorrow morning, but not that much earlier.”

Percy remembers she trains at USC, so she’s not too far from this press conference. “Yeah, I have a flight tomorrow. The boys and I have to get back to Stanford, before leaving for Japan.”

Annabeth smiles up at Percy, tucking a curl behind her ear that had fallen in her face. “Well… it’s been really nice talking to you tonight, Percy. Maybe, we can see each other in Tokyo?”

His heart leaps into his chest, filling with hope. “Yeah, yeah that would be great. Would it, erm, would it be weird to ask for your number? So, we could plan to meet up?”

Annabeth positively glows when he says that. “It’s absolutely not weird. Here,” she reaches into her purse, pulling out her phone, handing it to him, “put your number in my phone, and gimme yours.”

He hands over his phone. He puts his name in her phone as _Seaweed Brain_ hoping it’ll make her laugh, and it ultimately does. Percy smiles when he sees she put her name as _Wise Girl_, something he started calling her when he discovered she’s probably the smartest person he’s ever met.

Just as they finish exchanging numbers, Jason comes over to grab him.

“You ready to go, man?”

Percy turns to look at Jason. “Yeah, be right there.” He turns back to Annabeth.

She smiles at him, slowly backing away, getting rid to leave. “Well, I’ll see you around, Percy. And you know, you don’t have to wait until Tokyo to get in contact with me.”

Smiling, he says, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

—

So. They’re friends. It’s whatever. At least, that’s what he says to Jason, Beckendorf, and Frank when they’re questioning him with their knowing smiles.

“Dude, you totally have a crush on her.”

Percy glares at Jason from his locker. “Are we really talking about this right now?”

“Yes, we’re talking about this right now. Just ask her out! You guys don’t even live that far apart.”

Percy sighs. “I know, I know. But…”

Frank chimes in, “But what? You guys seemed to really hit it off, and she didn’t run away when you asked for her number.”

Beckendorf nods and points at Frank. “He’s making a point. Plus, you talk every day. And we know it because you get this stupid grin on your face that is specifically ‘Annabeth’s smile.’”

Percy looks at them indignantly. “I _do not_ have an ‘Annabeth smile.’”

Jason, Frank, and Beckendorf say in unison, “You do.”

Flipping them off, Percy says, “Whatever. So, we talk every day. I don’t want to start something when I’m so focused on the Olympics right now. And I’m sure she feels the same way.”

The boys look at each other, and Jason says, “Okay, that’s fair. But you better ask her out in Tokyo. At least take her around the city and woo her.”

With one eyebrow arched, Percy goes, “Woo her?”

“You know,” Frank interjects, “take her to a cool restaurant, show her the sites. You said she likes architecture! Just be romantic.”

Beckendorf nods in agreement. “Listen to Frank. Mainly because I gave him that advice when he was trying to impress Hazel, a few months ago. And look, _it worked_. And now they’ve been together for 3 months. And if you need any more advice, listen to me. Silena and I have been together for 18 months. I know a thing or two about romantic relationships.”

Jason laughs. “Really? Is that why you’re always asking us what to do?”

Beckendorf throws his towel at Jason, as they all laugh. “Shut up, you dicks.”

As they walk out of the locker room to head to the trainer’s office to be stretched out after practice, still teasing Charlie, Percy feels his phone vibrate.

Grabbing his phone, he glances down and sees a text from Annabeth.

_hey i just saw this video of a pool in florida near the ocean that had a ton of seaweed in it. you sure you’re not a seaweed brain ;)_

Percy grins super big at that, going to click the link to the news story Annabeth sent with the text.

“Dude,” Frank says.

Percy glances up at his friends. They’re all giving him a knowing look.

Okay… maybe Percy’s a little screwed.

—

It’s been a few more weeks and the time is finally here. They’re heading to the Olympic village today. They had been training in the few weeks prior to the opening ceremonies at a facility right outside of Tokyo (and across town from track and field), but now the time has finally come for them to head to the village, get settled in, and get ready for the greatest two weeks of their lives.

Percy’s feeling anxious, more so than usual; a fact that the other boys like to remind him of constantly. He can’t help it though. Him and Annabeth have been facetiming now, and it’s been really fun, just as fun as when they hung out at the gala. He guesses he’s just nervous to see her, scared that for some reason it’ll be awkward.

Jason tells him it’s because Percy likes her, but Percy pushes down the butterflies in his stomach when Jason says that. He knows he’s always had a crush on her, and he knows it’s only gotten worse since he’s actually become friends with her instead of admiring her athletic ability. But he can’t think about that right now. He’s got to do well at the Olympics. That’s his number one priority right now, and he knows Annabeth wants to do well, if the fire he sees in her eyes every time they talk is any indication.

Once they arrive in the village, and they’re waiting at the reception area for their keys to their rooms (Jason with Percy, Frank with Beckendorf), Percy hears some girls laughing loudly behind the swim team. He turns around and sees Annabeth with Piper, Reyna, and Clarisse, all girls he’s had the pleasure of meeting over the last few weeks through Annabeth. Putting on a smile and pushing down his nerves, he heads over to them.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see you this early, but I’m glad we did.”

Annabeth looks away from her friends in slight disbelief, her face breaking out into an all-out grin. Laughing and throwing her arms around his shoulders to give him a hug, she laughs in his ear, “Hi, Seaweed Brain! You didn’t tell me you guys would be here this early.”

Squeezing her back, he says, “Well, you didn’t tell me either. So, I guess we’ll call it even.”

Letting go of him and stepping back, she gestures to her friends. “Fine, we’ll call it even. Percy, this is Piper, Reyna, and Clarisse. I know you guys have technically met on facetime, but I figure you would want to introduce yourself in person.”

Giving a small wave, he says, “Hi, ladies. It’s nice to meet, _officially._”

Reyna smirks. “Yes, it is nice to meet you, Percy. We’ve heard _so_ _much_ about you.”

Annabeth elbows her, as Piper giggles and Clarisse says under her breath, “That’s an understatement.” Percy just glances at Annabeth to gauge her reaction, but she seems to be slightly avoiding his gaze.

“Uh, yeah. Anyways, we have some stuff to do with our coaches and trainers, but we’re still on to meet up tonight, right, Annabeth?”

Annabeth looks up from the floor then, smiling at him. “Yes, definitely. Just text me what time.”

“You got yourself a deal.”

The boys come over then to collect Percy, stupid smirks on all of their faces. Percy is tempted to smack them off of them.

“So, girls, it’s nice to meet all of you. Unfortunately, we have to steal Percy away now, but maybe we can all meet up later for dinner?” Jason says, looking mainly at Piper, who Percy knows he finds hot (Jason has told him several times after he’s gotten off facetime with Annabeth).

Piper smirks back at them. “That would be nice. Since these two,” pointing at Percy and Annabeth, “are planning on ditching us to explore the village.”

“Great! Well, we’ll have Percy contact Annabeth about what time we’re meeting for dinner and go from there. See you girls, later!” Jason replies, dragging Percy away.

As they walk towards their rooms, which are right next to one another, Frank vocalizes what they’re all thinking. “So, you and Annabeth, huh?”

Percy just groans as the boys laugh.

About 10 minutes later, Percy and Jason are unpacking their stuff, getting a lay of the land (it’s basically a glorified dorm room), when Jason speaks up.

“Dude, I know, you don’t want to hear it… but Annabeth clearly likes you.”

Percy sighs. He should’ve seen this coming.

“Jason…”

Jason holds his hands up, indicating that Percy should stop. “I’m only going to say this once, so keep your mouth shut. I know you’re scared about starting something in the middle of the Olympics because you think it’ll distract you or you think you’ll be distracting to her, but you have to _try_. I totally disagree about the distraction! You’re the type of person who gets inspired by others, and I know that Annabeth would inspire you to swim better. Remember when you dated Rachel? I know it ended badly, but when you guys were good, she made you _better_. And you’re clearly falling for Annabeth harder and faster than you ever did with Rachel. Don’t deny it, I can tell, I’ve been your friend for years. Just think about it… okay?”

Percy feels butterflies in his stomach, but nods, turning his back on Jason to continue unpacking. He knows he’s being a little more cautious than normal with Annabeth than he would with another girl, but gods, she’s already become so important to him. He’s just nervous because he doesn’t want to let her down. She’s only hinted at some of the things she’s been through with her parents, but he knows it hurt her immensely and he can’t do that to her. So, he doesn’t want to jump in right away. But maybe Jason is right, maybe he should allow himself to try. Even if Annabeth doesn’t like him back, he doesn’t think she would cut him out of her life. As he continues to ponder this, he starts to feel better and better about it. He’s going to tell her how he feels tonight.

Percy turns back to Jason after about another 10 minutes, seeing that Jason has given up on unpacking and is now laying on his back on his bed.

“Hey man,” the blonde looks up, “thanks.”

Jason smiles in return.

—

Later, the boys are waiting in the lobby for the girls. Percy’s trying not to pace back and forth for two reasons. One: he’s trying not to sweat, and pacing will definitely do that and two: if he paces, the boys will know he’s nervous because that’s his tell-tale sign that he’s nervous. So, instead, he’s just kind of rocking back and forth on his heels. He can sense them looking at him, but he’s trying to ignore them. Just as he sees Beckendorf finally look resign and begin to open his mouth (undoubtedly to tell Percy that he can pace, it’s fine, they won’t tease him), the girls come into the lobby of Team USA’s building.

All of them are dressed pretty casually, but Percy can’t help but think that Annabeth looks absolutely beautiful even though she’s only wearing jean shorts, a light blue tank top, and Birkenstocks. He tried to make himself look nice, picking a green shirt that makes his eye pop (or at least that’s what his mom says).

Annabeth smiles at him, her grey eyes sparkling. He smiles back at her, hoping his nerves aren’t showing through.

“You ready to go Seaweed Brain?”

Gesturing his hand towards the dorm towards the rest of the village, he says, “After you, Wise Girl.”

Annabeth turns to her friends, waving goodbye; Percy doing the same. As they start to walk away, they hear Piper yell, “see you later lovebirds!” The entire group laughs.

Percy blushes at that, and glances over at Annabeth, who also seems to have turned a pink color. That makes him feel better.

“So, Annabeth.”

Annabeth turns her head towards Percy. “So, Percy.”

“I heard that at the main building of the Village, there’s a gaming room. If you’re up for a little competition…”

Annabeth’s mouth twists into a smirk. “Always. As long as it’s nothing too strenuous.”

Percy smiles. “Nope. Just some good ol’ fashioned ping pong and arcade games.”

“Oh, you are _so_ on.”

—

Percy can honestly say he’s never had this much fun on a date… or whatever this is. They played games for hours, laughing and joking with one another. Things got a little heated at one point when they were playing Super Mario Kart (Annabeth _so_ cheated), but it was all in good fun.

The two of them then wandered around the village, taking in the little town that the Japanese federation had built for the athletes, stopping by different countries’ houses. They eventually looped back around to the main mess hall and grabbed dinner. Annabeth almost caused a food fight because she was flinging vegetables at Percy, and they had to dip out of there, giggling into their hands.

Now, the sun is starting to set, and they’re sitting in one of the outdoor parks constructed for the athletes. Annabeth is currently laying on her back in the grass, her blonde curly hair spread out around her, the sun hitting the highlights in her hair just perfectly. Percy could literally stare at her for hours.

“When do your parents come in?”

Percy shakes himself out of his admiration for the girl sitting next to him. “What was that?”

Smiling at him, she sits up, so their heads are level, and says, “When do your parents come in?”

“They get here the day before swimming starts, so they’ll get here July 25th.”

“Are you excited to see them?”

“Oh my gosh, yes. It’s been too long since I’ve seen them. I bet Estelle has gotten even bigger, since I last saw her.”

Annabeth grins at him. “Your sister is seven, right?”

Grinning back at her, he says, “Yes, and a freaking menace. I love her to death, but she is just a ball of energy.”

“Just like her brother.”

Percy laughs at that. “You’re not wrong. I don’t know how my mom put up with me for all those years.”

Putting her hand on Percy’s shoulder, she strokes her hand up and down his arm, causing goosebumps to breakout across his skin. “I’m sure you were a great kid, Percy. From what you’ve told me, it was your step-dad that made your life hell when you were younger.”

He shudders at the thought of his first stepdad, Gabe Ugliano. “Yeah… he definitely made me act out more because I couldn’t stand the guy. I was so happy when my mom finally left him.”

Smiling, she says, “And now, she has Paul.”

“And now, she has Paul. He’s great. So is my mom, which I’ve told you a million times.” Rubbing his hands together, to calm his nerves, he says, “You know, I’d love for you to meet them. My mom will adore you right away.”

Annabeth’s eyes widen in surprise. “Really?”

Her nerves only make him more confident. “Yes, absolutely. Annabeth, I know we’ve only known each other since May, but you’ve become so important to me.”

Annabeth’s mouth drops a little bit, like she’s in shock. He decides to let her process instead of saying anything else. A few minutes pass by before she speaks up.

Quietly, she says, “Percy, you’re really important to me, too.”

He looks over at her and smiles so widely, he thinks his face might break.

Annabeth takes a deep breath and continues. “I’m sure you’ve gotten this impression from me, but it’s really hard for me to trust people.” Percy just nods. He had noticed that whenever they talked, they tended to talk more about him than her when it came to personal things. “My mom left when I was just a baby. She had convinced herself she had wanted a kid, but once she had been around for a couple months, she didn’t want that anymore. She thought it would hold her back or something. And so, she left. My dad was obviously heartbroken, but he eventually married my stepmom and had two kids. And they were _always_ more important than me. I don’t know if my dad would ever admit it, but I was just a reminder of my mom. And so, when I was seven, I ran away a couple of times. Eventually, I was brought back by the police, but I never felt welcome in their home.”

Percy’s heart aches for her. He reaches out and grabs her hand, which she laces her fingers with his. “Annabeth…”

She looks up at him pleadingly. He closes his mouth, letting her continue. “Then, when I was in middle school, I became friends with this guy name Luke. We were inseparable. I thought I had found my new family. He was a few years older, so he left for college before me, but he promised we would stay best friends. By the end of his freshmen year, I barely heard from him anymore. When I confronted him about it, he basically told me he needed to move on from his past life. It was heartbreaking. And so, I close myself off.” Annabeth looks up him with some sort of look in her eye that he can’t quite read, still clinging to his hand. “And Percy, you mean so much to me, and I haven’t trusted someone this quickly in so long. I’m just…”

Finishing her thought for her, he says, “Scared.” She nods. Placing his right hand on her face, he says, “Annabeth, I promise you I will try my hardest not to let you down, okay? I would never try to hurt you intentionally.”

Leaning her face into his hand and closing her eyes, she nods.

Taking a deep breath, he says, “Wise Girl, look at me.”

Her big grey eyes open, piercing his bright green ones. He sees a million emotions swimming around in her eyes; uneasiness, anxiety, but most of all trust.

“Annabeth, I really like you. I know we’re about to compete in the Olympics, but I just couldn’t let that sit through the entire games because it’s all I would think about.”

Her eyes light up, losing the gleam of fear. “Percy…”

“I know this might be the wrong time, but just… I just needed you to know.”

She smiles brightly then, scooting closer to him. “Seaweed Brain… I really like you, too. I’ve been hoping you would make a move since the gala.”

He laughs at that. “Why didn’t you make a move?”

She gives him a look of exasperation. “Did you not just hear my super sad backstory? I have trust issues, dummy.”

Laughing again, he just shakes his head, Annabeth giggling with him. Eventually, the two of them calm down, the giddiness still humming underneath the surface. They just stare at one another, small smiles on their faces.

“Annabeth…” He leans his face closer to hers.

“Percy…” She leans in even more.

“Can I kiss you?” His lips are almost brushing hers.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

She leans in then, capturing his lower lip between hers, releasing his hand, and burying her hands in his hair. He groans slightly at the pressure, bringing his hands to her hips. She starts to lean back, and Percy lays her down, moving his left hand into her thick curls. The kiss is soft and sure, not too intense, but still full of the passion that’s always been within their relationship. Eventually, Annabeth slips her tongue across his lips, asking for access. Percy happily obliges, opening up for her, hoping to quench the hunger he feels for her. He doesn’t know if that will ever go away. Eventually, they both need air, and they pull away.

He looks down at her, and she looks absolutely stunning with her hair all smushed up from laying down and his hands running through her curls. He can’t resist her and presses a few more hot, quick kisses to her lips, which she happily accepts.

“We should probably head back. We both have practice tomorrow.”

Annabeth sighs. “You’re right.”

The two of them eventually get up (not before making out for 5 more minutes), and they walk back to USA’s house hand in hand. They make small talk about what training is going to consist of tomorrow for them, eventually letting the talk die down, feeling comfortable in the silence. Once they get to the dorm building, Percy, being the gentleman that he is, walks her back to her door.

Leaning against her door, she says, “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Percy leans down and kisses her softly. “Definitely. Just text me when you’re done with practice.”

She smiles. “Okay, sounds good. Goodnight, Percy.” Annabeth leans up and kisses him again, lingering for a little bit longer. As she pulls away, he tries to kiss her again, but she just laughs and pushes his chest.

“If you keep that up, I’ll never get to sleep, and I don’t think my coach would appreciate that when I’m super cranky tomorrow.”

Pouting a little, he says, “Fine. Fine. Go get your beauty sleep.”

Laughing, she turns around and unlocks her door. She throws him a smile over her shoulder and closes the door behind her. Percy pumps his fist in celebration as he walks back toward his room.

—

The past week and a half has been a whirlwind of pure joy. Jason could tell that something had something had happened immediately that night because as Jason said, “you have a stupid grin on your face that could only come from kissing the girl you like.” Which, he wasn’t wrong. He got a good amount of shit from Frank and Beckendorf the next morning at breakfast before practice, mainly a lot of “we told you so’s,” but Percy could tell they were really happy for him and Annabeth.

As for him and Annabeth, they were really good. He knows it’s only been a week and a half, but he’s never felt so comfortable in a relationship so early on. Maybe it’s because of their deep-rooted friendship beforehand, but it’s been so easy to transition from friends to more and he’s never been more grateful.

He told her this the night before his first day of prelims. She pushed his shoulder and called him a sap, but he could tell from her smile that she felt the same way.

The only issue they’ve had about their relationship is regarding sex. They had been making out pretty heavily in Percy’s bed the same night he had told her about how happy he was, when he stopped her from going any further.

Annabeth pouts down from her position in his lap, her fingers running up and down soothingly through his hair. Percy’s tempted to give in and keep kissing her, but he has to stop.

“Listen, Annabeth, I want to keep going, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

Percy sighs. “Okay, this is going to sound really stupid, but me and the guys have this luck thing. And it involves refraining from having sex before a major competition.”

Annabeth laughs. “Really?”

“Yes, I know it sounds stupid, but we made this pact freshmen year that we wouldn’t have sex in the weeks leading up to and during the competition. We just don’t want to tire ourselves out with sex.”

Annabeth perks her eyebrow up. “How much sex are you expecting to have? I don’t think having sex once a day would affect you that much.”

“You’d be surprised. I knew a girl on our team who was hooking up with a guy on one of the other teams in our conference. And she _tanked_ her 100 back final because she was so tired from having sex all afternoon. And I find you insanely hot,” Annabeth smirks at that, “so I know I wouldn’t be able to go for one round.”

She laughs again at that. “I’ll take that as a complement. Okay, fine, we won’t have sex. Until after _I’m_ done with my events, since I’m sitting through yours.”

Percy just grins, glad she understands. “That sounds like a deal.”

His family finally showed up two days before the competition could start. Him and Annabeth agreed they would keep the relationship lowkey, but of course, they could tell something was up almost immediately. His face heats up a little at the memory. He met up with his family after his 400 IM prelims on the first day, squeezing all of them hello. As they ate lunch together, his mom and his stepdad kept giving each other knowing glances. Eventually, Percy couldn’t take it anymore.

“Alright, what’s up with you two?”

His mom and Paul give each other another look before his mom looks at him. “Nothing, honey. We just noticed you’re… particularly happy.”

Percy laughs. “Well, yeah, I’m at the Olympics, you guys are here,” ruffling Estelle’s hair as he says this, “and I had a good swim. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

Paul clears his throat. “Well, your mother and I noticed you kept looking into the stands. But you clearly weren’t look at us…”

Percy feels his face get a little red but tries and keeps his face neutral. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Sally gives him a look, the one that says _I know you better than you think Perseus Jackson_. He caves almost immediately, knowing he can’t keep anything from his mom.

“Alright, fine, you’re right. I’m seeing someone. But it’s super new, so I didn’t want to say anything.”

Sally and Paul share another look, while his sister goes, “oooh, Percy’s in love!”

He sticks his tongue out at Estelle, who sticks her tongue back at him.

Sally speaks up then. “Could it possibly be a blonde hurdler that you’ve had a crush on for a few years?”

Percy’s mouth drops, wondering how his mother could possibly know that, until he remembers, “Grover told you!”

His mother smirks a tiny bit at that. “Maybe. Or maybe I just know you better than you think.”

Percy just laughs. “It’s probably a combination of the two. Yes, it’s Annabeth Chase.”

Paul gives him a smile, which he knows is his stepdad’s way of saying he approves of her. Sally smiles as well, and says, “Well, if we see her, I’m going to say hi, I hope that’s okay.”

Percy knows she’s going to do it anyway, so he gives his mom permission, already texting Annabeth to warn her. She freaks out a little bit that night when they’re hanging out, but by the next day, when Percy looks to the stands before his 400 IM final, he sees them all sitting together, cheering him on.

They’re now at the end of the swimming portion of the week, and it’s been the most exciting week of swimming of his life. So far, Percy’s taken home 2 golds (100 back, 200 back), 1 silver (400 IM), and 1 bronze (200 IM), with one event left. His favorite event: the 4x100 medley relay. It’s the first time all week that him and the other boys from the Core Four have gotten to swim together, since only him and Jason have overlapping individual events.

The 4x100 medley relay is easily one of the most exciting events to watch, and the fact that it’s the event to close out the meet makes it even more exciting. The reason it’s so exhilarating to watch is because it relies on all four strokes: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Each person and stroke have their strengths and weaknesses, and it’s so easy to spot these when people are swimming. So, when it finally comes down to the last 100 and the freestylers are in the pool, it’s just balls-to-the-walls fast swimming and Percy fucking loves it.

He’s currently in the warm-up room, trying to keep his nerves at bay, when he gets texts from Annabeth.

_good luck seaweed brain <3 you better win or you won’t get a kiss_

_just kidding!_

_(but actually you’re going to kick some butt i know it :) )_

He smiles goofily, already feeling his nerves relaxing. Annabeth’s been such a rock for him this entire Olympics, which in retrospect is kind of funny to think about since he thought a relationship might be a distraction. If anything, she’s helped him focus more. Maybe it’s because she’s an athlete, maybe it’s something else, but he’s so glad he’s had her by his side.

He texts back a heart and looks up to see Jason ushering him over. They’re about to start the women’s 4x100 medley, so he knows Jason is going to give his pep-talk now so they can watch the girls team.

“Boys.” Jason starts. “I don’t have to say anything, but I’m going to anyways. I know you guys are going to put your hearts on the line here, and you’re going to give it everything you have. No matter what, even if we come in last, or we DQ, or if anything else happen, I’m proud to swim this relay with you guys. I can’t believe we said six years ago when we were freshmen in college that we would be here representing the USA in these Olympics, and now it’s true. I love you guys.”

Percy, Frank, and Beckendorf just nod back at Jason, agreeing with everything he said. Percy groups them into a hug, saying, “I love you guys,” with all of them echoing it back.

They step away then, taking their places to watch the women’s relay on the TV that are set up in the warm-up room. It’s a nail-biting race, but the US women manage to squeak out a win, coming down to the final 15 meters. The boys all cheer in unison, feeling their spirits lift even more. The USA have never lost the men’s 4x100 medley relay, and they don’t want to start now.

Percy hears the announcer calling the countries, so the boys take their places. When Team USA is finally called, the boys walk out holding hands. When they emerge from warm-up room, the stadium goes up in a roar. Percy quickly scans for his family and Annabeth, seeing them near the front of the stands by the blocks, noting with a shock that Annabeth’s teammates, Piper, Clarisse, and Reyna are also there. Now, he really can’t let people down.

He takes his parka off and then makes sure his goggles and cap are secured on his head. He gets lined up behind the block, since he’s the first one to swim as the backstroker. Frank claps him on the back, and the other two boys give him shouts of encouragement. The referee blows his whistle, signaling the boys to get into the water.

When Percy jumps in, everything else tunes out. This is his element. He can do this. He places his feet on the wall, grabbing onto the bar on the block. He pulls himself up into starting position at the official’s words of, “take your mark.” And _whoosh!_ He pushes back, arching into the water at the sound of the buzzer.

He eventually breaks the surface after kicking his 15 meters underwater, and his arms just go into autopilot, spinning so quickly, moving in sync with his legs, which are kicking so hard. He seems the flags and turns, pushing off the wall with a great amount of force, propelling him back towards the blocks. He eventually sees the other flags, and finishes, looking up to see where he finished. He sees his split, a 51.72, and the place, which has a 1 next to it, meaning he got them into first to start the relay. Beckendorf helps him up once he’s out of the pool, saying to him, “Nice job, Aquaman! New world record in the 100 back. Hopefully, we can keep that up!”

Percy, still breathing very heavily, grins, can’t believing he broke the WR. He turns back to the pool then, yelling, “move!” at Jason. Frank eventually dives in for the butterfly leg, Jason keeping the lead as he touches. Percy claps Jason on the back, yells for Frank, and gives some words of encouragement for Charlie. At last, Beckendorf dives in, with an easy lead now. The three boys crowd around the block, screaming for Charles to finish. He touches the wall, winning, and the boys erupt into cheers. Looking up, they see their time of 3:27.18. Over the loudspeakers, they hear that it’s a new world record, and their cheers just get louder.

Percy eventually pulls away from his friends, grinning like a maniac. He looks over to see his family, his mom openly weeping. He can tell Paul is trying hard not to cry, and Estelle is screaming her head off. The track girls are screaming, waving their pom-poms like crazy for the men’s team. He sees Annabeth then, whose eyes are shining so bright and so full of pride, it makes Percy a little weepy. She sees him looking at her, and she gives him the biggest grin in the world. He wants so badly to go over there and kiss her, but he knows they’ll meet later. He then feels the boys jar him back to reality, pulling him away from his Annabeth bubble.

“C’mon Perce, let’s go get our medals!” Percy follows their lead.

—

“That was so unbelievably hot watching you swim, oh my god,” Annabeth whispers against Percy’s lips, pushing him down the hall to his room.

Percy just grunts in response, incredibly turned on by how turned on Annabeth is by his swimming.

“I’m so proud of you,” she kisses his neck, “you were incredible out there,” she sucks a little harder into his collarbone, “I want you so badly,” she finishes by running her hands up and down his sides underneath his shirt.

Percy full on moans now, not even caring that they’re still in the hallway where anyone could see them. He knows the other athletes are hooking up, too (there _is_ a reason why the Olympic committee gives out condoms).

He pulls away though because they promised they wouldn’t go any further until after Annabeth’s races were done. She gazes up with him with a dazed look in her eye, clearing contemplating kissing him again, but she notices the glint his eye that says _later_.

“C’mon, ‘Beth. You still have a few more days of races before you’re done.”

Annabeth pouts. “I know. You’re right. We’ll wait. _I guess_.” She playfully rolls her eyes at the end of her sentence, but Percy can tell she’s just messing with him.

“Besides, I want to hear about your semi-final today! I’m sorry I couldn’t see it, I had so many interviews to do.”

She laces her fingers with his, letting him pull her down the hall to his room, so they can talk some more.

“It’s okay, Perce. I know you’ll be there for the rest of it. The semi was great. I felt so strong out of the gate, and I was really able to use that push to get my pace up quickly. You know, I’m better at the 400m hurdle, but I was able really use my strength to my advantage here.”

Percy smiles at her, feeling a sense of pride for her. “That’s great! You’re seeded 4th going into the final tomorrow morning, right?”

She smiles. “Yep. Which is probably the best I’ve ever been ranked going into a final in the 100m. I really want a medal.”

Percy leans down and kisses her softly, lingering when he feels her pushing into his lips. “I know you can. Because you’re the best.”

She laughs. “And you’re a dork.”

They’re almost to Percy’s room, when Jason comes down the hall looking frantic.

“Dude, there you are. Have you checked your texts at all?”

Percy’s face shifts into one of confusion. “No, I haven’t checked in a few hours. Listen, whatever it is, can it wait? Annabeth and I are going to hang out a little before she has to go to sleep for her final tomorrow morning.”

Jason starts to protest, but Percy pushes past him, bringing Annabeth with him, figuring his friend will understand that he just wants to spend time with his girlfriend. He opens the door to his room to a complete surprise: his ex-girlfriend Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

“Rachel?”

She looks at him with a look of guilt in her eyes, but he’s so disorientated he doesn’t even feel Annabeth’s hand grip loosen and slip out of his.

“What are you doing here?”

Rachel gulps and says, “I needed to talk to you.”

Percy feels anger boiling inside him. “Right now? It was so important you had to come to the Olympics?”

“I know it’s bad timing, but…”

In that moment, Percy remembers his girlfriend. He turns his back on Rachel and turns around to see Annabeth looking sad and confused with Jason in the background, standing in the doorframe, looking uncomfortable.

“Annabeth…”

She holds her hand up. “It’s fine, Percy. Whatever. I’m just going to go. I’ll see you later… or maybe not.” She quickly turns on her heels and marches out of the room, pressing her hand to her mouth, clearly trying not to cry. Percy calls her name repeatedly, about to go after her, when Jason stops him.

“Dude, I’ll go talk to her. You talk to Rachel, okay?”

Percy’s already in panic mode, worrying that he might lose Annabeth. He knows how hard it is for her to trust people, and the fact that his ex-girlfriend is here to see him during the Olympics is probably making her think she’s going to lose him.

Percy just nods, trying not to spiral anymore. “Just… tell her I want her. And I’ll be there tomorrow. And the day after. And so on. Okay?”

Jason nods, quickly leaving to find Annabeth at her and Piper’s room.

Percy stares at the door for a few seconds, trying to gather his thoughts before remembering why this was all happening in the first place. He turns back around and faces his ex-girlfriend, who at least has the decency to look guilty.

“Rachel, _what_ are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, Percy. I _swear_ I’m not trying to get in between you and Annabeth. And if I had known, I would’ve texted or called or contacted you in some way before coming. I know things ended on a sour note with us with the constant fighting, but it’s just…” Rachel takes a shaky breath, clearly trying not to break down.

Percy’s heart clenches at that. No matter how him and Rachel ended, and even if he doesn’t feel anything romantic anymore for her, he still cares about her.

“What is it, Rach?”

“My dad… he just… he’s trying so hard to get me into the family business again despite how much I _hate _what they’re doing. He’s threatening to cut me off, and I know I could make it on my own, I know it. It’s just I don’t want to lose my mom, and even if my dad is so controlling, he’s still my dad, you know? I just… I don’t know what to do.” Rachel’s crying by the time she finishes her tiny spiel.

Percy leads her over to his bed and sits her down, wrapping his arm around her shoulders while she cries. He wants to punch Mr. Dare. He’s never liked the guy, and he’s always made that known to Rachel. He’s always been so controlling of Rachel, never supporting his daughter’s ambition to pursue art. He knows the guy has threated cutting her off before, but it sounds like he actually means it this time. He wants to tell Rachel to screw it and go for it, but he knows that’s not right.

“Listen, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I can’t tell you what to do, you have to decide this on your own. But just know, I’ll support you no matter what.”

Rachel hugs him at that, sniffling into his shirt. “I know you can’t make it for me, but I really needed to hear this.”

“Not that I’m not happy to help you, but what about your art friends?”

Rachel detaches herself from Percy side. “I just feel like I’ve been running away from my problems the past year or so, with our break-up and ending art school, and I suddenly realized that I didn’t have them anymore. All of them are all around the world, doing amazing things. And sure, we stay in touch, but it’s all so superficial. And I realized I just wanted to talk to you. You know, how we used to before things went south?”

Percy smiles slightly at that. “Yeah, we did have some good talks.”

“Do you think we could try being friends again? I really just miss my friend.”

“Yeah, I think we could arrange that.”

Rachel laughs quietly. “Good. So… Annabeth Chase, huh?”

Percy sighs and looks down. “Yeah, Annabeth. Gods, I need to talk to her.”

“I’m really sorry, Percy. I promise I didn’t mean to mess anything up.”

He holds up his hands. “It’s forgiven. Honestly. I just need to go talk to her. I’ll explain it, and hopefully, she’ll listen to me.” Rachel looks at him, like she knows he wants to say more, so he continues on. “She just… has a hard time trusting people. I’m scared she won’t believe me.”

Rachel puts her hand on his arm. “I’m sure she’s scared, too. But she seems like a reasonable person,” Percy snorts at that because sometimes she’s really stubborn, “or maybe not! But Percy Jackson is not a person to give up. _Prove_ to her that she can trust you.”

He nods in determination. “You’re right. Thanks, Rachel.”

She smiles in return. “You’re welcome, _friend_.”

Percy laughs in response.

“Go get your girl, Jackson.”

—

He ran into Jason on his way to Annabeth and Piper’s room, who gave him the wonderful news that Annabeth slammed the door in Jason’s face and proceeded to send Piper to the door to deal with him, who promptly told him to leave. (But not before flirting with him, the bastard.)

“I’m so sorry, dude. I tried so hard.”

Percy runs his hands through his hair, trying not to panic. “It’s fine. I’ll go and talk to her. Or at least attempt to.”

Jason clapped him on the back to wish him luck.

Now, here he is, standing outside of Annabeth’s door, talking with Piper, who absolutely refuses to let him talk to Annabeth.

“Piper, this is fucking ridiculous. Let me talk to her.”

Piper shakes her head. “Sorry. She said she doesn’t want to.”

Percy growls in frustration. He knew what he was getting into dating one of the most stubborn people he’s ever met, but _holy shit_, he wants to scream. Not at Annabeth, just in general.

Percy takes a deep breath, trying to keep calm. “Fine. Will you give her a message from me?”

Piper holds up a finger to signal that she’s going to get Annabeth’s permission, before ducking behind the door. Percy taps his foot in annoyance, waiting for her to return. Piper’s head reappears about a minute later.

“Yes, I will take your message. What would you like to tell her?”

Percy resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Can you please tell her that Rachel is not here to get back together me and even if _she_ wanted that, I _do not_ want to get back together with Rachel? I only want to date her. I only want _Annabeth_. And even if she is mad at me, I’m going to be at her track events the next couple of days. Because I keep my promises. Please tell her I care about her a lot and I would never intentionally break her trust.”

Piper nods and says, “Thank you. I will pass this along.” She then looks behind her really quickly before leaning in and whispering, “Percy, just give her a few days, okay? She’s upset and she gets hot-headed and can overreact. I know she told you about her dad and Luke, and she just…” Piper sighs, “she’s my best friend and she’s still trying to move past her childhood trauma. Just give her time, okay?”

Percy nods, feeling touched that Piper would give him advice like that. She straightens up then and shoos him away with her hand. Speaking in a normal voice, she says, “Begone, peasant.”

He tries not to laugh at that, amazed by how quickly Piper shifts back into _we hate all boys_ mood.

He heads back to his room then. He sees Rachel has left by then, figuring she grabbed an uber back to her hotel. Jason is sitting on his bed, facetiming his sister, Thalia, who couldn’t make it to the Olympics, since she’s coaching kids back in America.

Jason sits up when he sees Percy walk in. “Hold on, sis. How’d it go with Annabeth?”

Percy flops onto his bed. “She wouldn’t talk to me, but Piper gave her a message from me. And then, she told me not to worry. Just keep showing up for her, and she’ll realize I meant what I said.”

Thalia chimes in. “Wow, Percy. Did you mess it up with some girl?”

“Fuck off, Thalia.”

She just laughs at him before saying, “You’re a good guy, Perce. I’m sure it’ll work out. Text her before you go to sleep. Start the caring now.”

Jason nods in agreement with his sister. “She’s right, dude. Text her now and I’ll still go to all the track events with you, since Frank and Beckendorf are going to Hazel and Silena’s equestrian stuff.”

Percy shoots a look at his friend. “You just want to go to see Piper running in those shorts.”

Jason has the decency to look a little guilty, while Thalia cackles. “Okay, I’m not going to deny that, but you’re one of my best friends! I want to support you. Although, you gotta come with me to Nico’s diving events and Leo’s baseball games.”

Percy nods, not feeling like talking anymore. Today was supposed to be a great day, and it was, at least for most of it. The ending just sucks so much, it basically ruins the rest of the day.

He gets ready for bed then, not feeling like staying up late. As he goes to plug his phone in, he realizes he hasn’t texted Annabeth, yet. Mentally cursing himself for almost forgetting, he pulls up their message exchange, smiling at her contact name, which she changed to “bannabeth :) <3” after they started dating. It’s so dorky, he honestly wants to cry.

_hey beth, just wanted to wish you good luck for tomorrow :) i can’t wait to watch you kick some butt in the 100m. if you hear someone screaming like a banshee for you tomorrow, that’s me! if you want to see me afterwards, let me know. if not, i totally understand._

Plugging his phone in, he turns his back to Jason and tries to fall asleep.

—

Percy has been miserable the past few days. Annabeth has still refused to talk to him, although she did kind of look at him yesterday during her semi-final of the 400m hurdle (which she killed by the way. She’s ranked the number one seed going into the final. He’s so proud of her). He’s currently sitting with Jason, who’s texting Piper. She doesn’t have her semi-final until that night.

“Dude, can you ask about Annabeth again?”

Jason gives him a look, a mix between a grimace and a smile, which just makes him look creepy. “I already told you, Piper said Annabeth’s just being extra stubborn. She said she knows Annabeth misses you because she’s constantly looking over here,” Percy goes to interject, “which you never see because she makes sure you’re not looking. Piper also says the reason she’s being so stubborn is because she’s never seen Annabeth fall for a guy this hard before. So, she’s being extra pig-headed about it.”

Percy groans. “Gods, I just want to talk to her! Like, yes, I miss kissing her and touching her and all that coupley stuff, but she used to be someone I talked to _everyday_. I just miss her.”

Percy tries to not look at their messages, which has just been one-sided over the past few days.

He perks up when he hears the announcers start to call out the names of the women running the 400m hurdle, making sure to scream extra loud for Annabeth. He wants her to win so badly. She did so amazing the other day in the 100m hurdle, coming in 3rd, but he wants her to have that gold. There’s no one who deserves it more than her.

The women go and stand in front of their blocks, shaking out their nerves and their limbs. Annabeth is in the center, her hair pulled back in her classic double French braids. His heart starts to beat out his chest for her. She looks so intense and so determined, he wants it for her so bad. He looks over to Jason, who also looks nervous for her.

The official tells the girls to get into place. The girls all set their feet, getting ready to go. The starter tells them to take their mark, and then POP! They’re all off, the crowd erupting into cheers immediately. Percy sees Annabeth jumping over the first hurdle, already getting into a good groove. She starts to gain speed as she heads into the second, keeping the girl from Denmark at bay in the lane next to her.

She’s absolutely flying as she jumps over the 3rd, 4th, 5th and so on. As she comes to the final stretch of the race, she absolutely starts to fly, with the Denmark girl and Annabeth’s teammate, Katie Gardner, not too far behind. Percy is screaming his head off, with Jason echoing his calls. As she jumps over the final hurdles, she uses the rest of her strength to power through to the finish line, winning by a fraction of 0.74. The boys lose their minds even more once they see that Annabeth broke the world record, running a time of 52.17. Annabeth and Katie are locked in a tight embrace, ending up going one and two. They make their way over to their teammates, who are all going absolutely crazy. Piper, Reyna, and Clarisse lead the charge to congratulate them. Percy’s so unbelievably happy for her, he almost cries.

Just as he’s about to look away from their celebration to talk to Jason about how incredible she is, Annabeth looks up at him. They make eye contact for the first time in days. Percy gives her a smile, hoping it conveys everything he wants to say to her. She gives him a small smile back. They hold the smile for another couple of seconds, before she’s jolted out of it by more of her teammates joining them.

She looks back up at him, trying to apologize, but he just waves her off. He knows she wants to be with her teammates, and he gets it. He’ll take her even looking him. She mouths to him (or at least he thinks she does), “Later.”

Percy nods back, already feeling happier than he has in days. He can wait until later.

—

Okay, he was lying early. He can’t wait until later. Don’t get it wrong, he is. He’s waiting! He just wants to talk to her. The text she sent him earlier also doesn’t help the anticipation.

He goes back (for the millionth time) to reread their quick exchange

_congrats annabeth!!!!!! i’m so happy for you <3333_

_thanks percy, i’ll come talk to you later in your room :)_

_can’t wait :)_

He had gone to dinner with his family, who are going home tomorrow. They’ve been watching the other sports, trying to get the full experience of the Olympics. He was thankful for the distraction, but now, he’s sitting in his room, trying not to think of every situation of how this might play out.

He had also told Jason not to come back to the room tonight because he just wants to be with Annabeth alone. Luckily, his roommate is meeting up with Piper, who won the 400m dash tonight during the track event. He’s happy that Jason and Piper are working out, even if him and Annabeth end up ending things. The thought of that though makes him want to hurl everywhere.

He’s just about to text her again, just to get an idea of when she’ll be here, so he doesn’t continue to spiral, when he hears a knock on his door.

Bolting up out of his bed, he takes enormous strides to get to his door. Taking a giant breath to calm himself down, he opens the door to see Annabeth standing there, with loose curls and athletic clothes, looking nervous.

Annabeth takes a breath and goes, “Hi.”

“Hi.”

She gulps before continuing. “Can I come in?”

Percy uses his hand to gesture her in, “Yeah, yeah, of course, come in.”

She walks in slowly, seeming unsure of what to do. Percy comes to stand right in front of her, not sure if she wants to sit. They both just kind of stare at one another before in unison, they both go, “I’m sorry.”

Annabeth promptly tears up when he says that. “No, Percy, please don’t be sorry. _I’m_ sorry, okay? I trust you explicitly, and I don’t want you to think that I don’t. It’s just… I saw your beautiful ex-girlfriend standing in your room, probably after flying thousands of miles to see you. And I just felt like I was going to be abandoned again. And it hurt so much more than Luke or my dad because I’ve never cared about someone as much as you, you know?”

Percy reaches for her hands, relaxing when she grips his hands back. “I do, I get it.”

She smiles at him, eyes still a little watery. “Piper says I need to stop putting my head up my ass when stuff like this happens.” Percy laughs. “Yeah, her words, not mine. But she’s right. I’m sorry I ran. I just don’t always know how to handle this stuff.”

Percy smiles at her. “It’s okay. I still struggle, too. But we can get through this together, right?”

Annabeth nods her head very quickly. “Yes, definitely.”

Percy’s grin really lights up then, so unbelievably happy. He slowly leans down, before Annabeth just gives in and throws herself into Percy. Kissing Annabeth feels like home, her lips gliding across his effortless. He pulls away, soon after, with Annabeth whimpering a little in response. He has something to say to her though.

“By the way, congrats on your gold and bronze medal, babe.”

Annabeth’s frown of dissatisfaction melts away as a smile replaces it. “Thanks, Perce. I’m so happy, I can’t believe it really happened.”

“I’m so proud of you. And guess what?”

She strokes his face as she says, “What? Tell me.”

He smiles at her before continuing. “We’re _both _gold medalists and world record holders. That’s kind of hot of us.”

She throws her head back and laughs, before looking back at his face. Her smile shifts into her trademark smirk. “You’re right, it _is_ hot of us. We should do something about that.”

Percy leans down again, brushing his lips against hers. “Oh, yeah? And what did you have in mind?”

She answers that with a searing kiss, running his bottom lip through her teeth, pulling at it, earning a moan from Percy. Annabeth pushes him back towards the bed, until his knees hit the side of it. The force of Annabeth’s push forces him onto his back, but he grips her hips tightly, making sure to bring her down with him. They end up with Annabeth straddling his hips, as she finally responds to his question from earlier. “Well, I was promised sex after my events.”

Percy runs his big hands up and down underneath her shirt, feeling her soft skin and taut abs. “You know me, Annabeth, I always keep my promises.”

She grins wolfishly at him, grinding down on him, as he takes off her shirt fully.

Later (much later), the two of them are laying underneath his covers, sweaty and sedated. Percy’s fingers are running up and down Annabeth’s naked spine, as she plays with his fingers on his other hand. He looks down at her, can’t believing what a lucky bastard he is.

“Hey, Annabeth?”

“Yeah, Perce?”

“Those medals aren’t the best thing I’ve won these past few weeks.”

She lifts her head off of his chest, her eyes shining with a twinkle of something more. She looks like she might say something serious, but in typical Annabeth fashion, she says, “You’re a dork.”

Percy just grins at that. He quips back with, “Yeah, but I’m _your_ dork.”

She sighs with content, laying back down onto his chest. “Yes, you are.”

Percy chuckles into her hair, knowing that she feels the same way about this. This being laying here, just the two of them, _finally together_. And he really wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> a couple of extra things:  
-in case it’s not obvious, percy and annabeth are 24 here  
-i hate making rachel the bad guy because i love her but it needed a problem so i used her so i just want to apologize to rachel i love you bb  
-the track stuff i kind just took my experience racing as a swimmer and tried to place it on the track so if it seems weird i’m sorry!!  
-yes, nico is a diver, leo is a baseball player, and hazel & silena are equestrian riders. i also think that thalia would be an archer, but she’s retired now and coaching. and will solace would also be an archer, but i just couldn’t fit him in :/  
-my thoughts are that clarisse and reyna do the field stuff. reyna would be a jumper and clarisse would do shot-put or something along those lines. i also think piper would be like a mid-distance runner, so like 400m and 800m and maybe mile?  
-i tried writing smut but i just feel weird about writing it sometimes especially with characters that are still teenagers in canon so it’s implied here lmao  
-anyways leave comments and kudos as always <3 you can find me on tumblr @chasesjackson & twitter @ twizzlesequence


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